Bugati Force “Shake & Pop Bitch”

Bugati Force–the Berlin-based trio of Cashmaster Diamond, Droopy Goldberg, and Spänk–knows its way around a dance party. This exclusive offering from Shir Khan’s Exploited imprint finds the DJ/Production crew grabbing elements from two of the most fail-proof club jams in history, Green Velvet’s “Shake and Pop” and 2 Live Crew’s “Shake Dat Ass Bitch,” and seamlessly mashing them together into one ultimate peak-hour tune. Originally released as a now out-of-stock 7″, “Shake & Pop Bitch” is already seeing play from heavyweights like Stereo MCs, Edu K, and Daniel Haaksman.

Bugati Force – Shake & Pop Bitch

Out This Week: Atlas Sound, Fabric 41

This week, soul chanteuse Stacy Epps drops her debut, The Faint’s new one is out so we can finally stop talking about it, and Bradford Cox one again proves why he’s most deserving of the label “prolific.”

The Faint
Fasciinatiion
blank.wav

The newest full-length from the Omaha, NE dance-rock five piece, who split from their longtime home at Saddle Creek and self-released this one.

Stacy Epps
The Awakening
New Directions in Sound/JapaNUBIA Musik

This soulstress had a lone leaked single to her name until this album came to fruition. Madlib-style beats meet Coltrane-like musings here, with a cool, confident flow.

Various
Fabric 41 Mixed by Luciano
Fabric

Cadenza boss Luciano assumed mixing duties for the latest Fabric compilation, which is finally seeing its Stateside release. All things minimal and tribal abound here.

Ulrich Schnauss
Stars EP
Domino

This came out digitally at the end of June, but the physical version drops on Tuesday, in the form of a lovely DRM-free CD. A master of shoegaze ambience, Schnauss pulled the track “Stars” from his Quicksand Memory EP and, along with Maps and Andrew Prinz, gave it a couple re-workings.

Atlas Sound
“Atlas Shrugged” 7″
K Records

So the story goes, Bradford Cox stopped into Dub Narcotic studios in Olympia, WA, made a song up on the spot, played all the instruments, then handed it off to studio head and K Records’ boss Calvin Johnson, who put a few finishing touches on the single. If only it were that easy for the rest of us.

Brazilian Girls
New York City
Verve Forecast

Neither Brazilian or female (except for the lead singer), this band outfit from New York unleashes its third full-length this week. The album features Senegalese singer Baaba Maal on a track and jazz percussionist Kenny Wollesen on three.

Out Last Week

Photo of Brazilian Girls by Michael Weintrob

Vivian Girls “Where Do You Run To”

On their way to becoming one of New York’s favorite new underground pop acts, Brooklyn’s Vivian Girls craft seductive lo-fi melodies that bring to mind jean jackets and summertime makeout sessions. Previously only available on limited-edition vinyl, this track is taken from the band’s self-titled debut album, slated for a proper re-release this October via L.A.-based imprint In The Red. Meanwhile, catch them on their U.S. tour, which kicked off last Friday in their hometown, with fellow Brooklyn psych-rockers Crystal Stilts.

Vivian Girls – Where Do You Run To

Black Kids Partie Traumatic

This Florida five-piece has gotten so much press it’s hard to remember that this is their debut album. Their post-racial/hipster/whatever name doesn’t hurt, either–it’s like catnip for critics trying to figure out What These Things Mean. They’re so hyped that it’s almost easy to forget their music–a pity, because they make brash, fun retro-synth rock/pop that’s sweetly sexy. Their range is a little narrow, but there’s lots good here anyway: the chant-dance title track, the ’80s-ish electronics on “Listen to Your Body Tonight” the rock/R&B of “Hurricane Jane,” and, of course, “I’m Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance.” Who cares what it means? Just dance already.

Eliot Lipp The Outside

Nomadic beatsmith Eliot Lipp has wandered and recorded all across the States, absorbing regional sounds with ease. Now living in Brooklyn, the Tacoma, WA-reared act is back with The Outside, an album that’s both futuristic and gritty. Pushing the limits of his old-school synths, Lipp draws from a range of glitchy and gleaming effects. And when he’s at his most speaker-conscious he taps into classic Brooklyn bounce, backing tracks like “The Machine and the Wind” and “Baby Tank” with body-rocking riddims. More straightforward selections, like the electro-inspired “The Meaning,” aren’t quite as fun. Although even among the unsurprising moments, Lipp still kills it.

Black Ghosts: Skeletons in the Studio

The Black Ghosts’ Simon Lord and Theo Keating have got skeletons in their closets… in the form of hoodies and gloves printed with skinny white bones. They’ve also got a supernatural amount of experience under their own pasty skins. Signed to Wall of Sound as The Wiseguys, Keating (a.k.a. DJ Touché) was responsible for such massive tracks as “Ooh La La!” and “Start the Commotion” (tracks heard in Zoolander and ads for Budweiser and Mitsubishi). And any electro-house fan worth their Day-Glo sunglasses is familiar with Justice’s career-defining remix of Simian’s “Never Be Alone”–that’s Simian ex-frontman Lord on vocals.

When Keating started to record his last DJ Touché record, he sought out Lord to do guest vocals. A mutual friend delivered a few one-minute taster tracks to the former Simian member, who quickly returned them with lyrics. “They weren’t even meant for him to write to!” Keating exclaims. With the help of ye olde internet, the guys were working together immediately. “No time was wasted sitting around in studios while one guy is programming and the other is bored,” Keating describes. “It was probably the most painless way to make a record.” All that was left was for the duo to bond on tour (which they did, over Japanese horror flicks).

The Ghosts’ eponymous album is a refreshing, neo-gothic update of ’80s sensibilities; it boasts a collaboration with Blur’s Damon Albarn and a suite of clever remixes from Switch, Kissy Sell Out, and Fake Blood (rumored to be Keating’s side-project). The Black Ghosts is rife with Lord’s spooky lyrics, which bob up and down over ghostly 4/4s, as on “Any Way You Choose to Give It,” where he beseeches “Please appreciate the limits of the flesh/The spirit will not rest, will not be satisfied with anybody else.”

“I just try to show both sides,” says Lord of his grim couplets. “To me that’s a lot more interesting than making candy floss for 12-year-olds to dance to. I like songs that are a bit ambiguous.” This is particularly evident on the epic electro of album starter “Some Way Through This,” on which Lord gloomily whines, “If this house was on fire/Would you tell me your desire?/If my hands were ’round your throat/Would you tell me what I need to know” in a way that could be read as sexy or creepy… or both.

While the Ghosts have managed to differentiate themselves sonically, it must be hard competing with other rising hearts of darkness such as Black Keys, Black Lips, Black Kids, and The Blacks. Lord is undaunted, calling for them to band together into a coven of pop noir. “We should have a reunion, all the ‘black’ bands joining. A conference,” he says mystically. Daaark.

More on The Black Ghosts
Video: “Repetition Kills You
Feature: Interview with Simon Lord
Feature: Interview with Theo Keating

Atmosphere Announces Tour Dates

Here come Slug and Ant. With many a relationship woe and character’s sad story now told via Atmosphere‘s latest album, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, the Minneapolis-based hip-hop duo will embark on its Paint the Nation tour.

Shows will kick off next week in Iceland, and from there the dynamic duo will hit Europe before the jaunt of U.S. dates begins. Stateside shows will include rapper/producer Blueprint, Abstract Rude, and DJ Rare Groove on the bill.

08/09 Reykjavik, Iceland: Tunglid
08/12 Berlin, Germany: Cassiopeia
08/13 Cologne, Germany: Stadtgarten
08/14 Hamburg, Germany: Waagenbau
08/15 Zurich, Switzerland: Tonimolkerei
08/16 Munich, Germany: Ampere
08/20 Oslo, Norway: Bla
08/21 Stockholm, Sweden: Nalen
08/22 Copenhagen, Denmark: Little Vega
08/23 Prague, Czech Republic: Hip Hop Kemp Festival
08/23 Helsinki, Finland: Tavastia
09/10 Fargo, ND: The Venue*
09/11 Sioux Falls, SD: Sioux Empire Expo Center*
09/12 Omaha, NE: Slowdown*
09/13 Denver, CO: Monolith Festival
09/15 Boise, ID: Knitting Factory*
09/16 Missoula, MT: Wilma Theater*
09/18 Eugene, OR: McDonald Theater
09/19 Sacramento, CA: Empire*
09/20 San Diego, CA: Street Scene
09/21 Bakersfield, CA: The Dome*
09/22 Santa Cruz, CA: Catalyst*
09/25 Los Angeles, CA: Wiltern*
09/26 Las Vegas, NV: House of Blues*
09/27 Phoenix, AZ: Edge Fest
09/28 Tucson, AZ: KFMA Fall Ball
09/30 Houston, TX: Warehouse Live*
10/01 New Orleans, LA: Tipitina’s*
10/03 Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Revolution*
10/04 Orlando, FL: Firestone*
10/06 Atlanta, GA: Masquerade*
10/07 Ashville, NC: Orange Peel*
10/08 Richmond, VA: Toad’s Place*
10/10 Baltimore, MD: Ram’s Head*
10/11 New Haven, CT: Toad’s Place*

* = w/ Blueprint, Abstract Rude, and DJ Rare Groove

Image by Mike Davis.

Soulwax to Play Stateside Dates

It’s a precious few dates that Belgium-based duo Soulwax is set to play, but these shows are sure to sell out. Brothers David and Stephen Dewaele will be making four North American appearances next week in support of their new DVD, Part of the Weekend Never Dies, which documents the music and mayhem involved with doing a world tour. The documentary is rumored to be out in September. In the meantime, catch them here:

08/06 New York, NY: Irving Plaza*
08/08 Philadelphia, PA: Transit*
08/09 Baltimore, MD: Virgin Festival
08/10 Toronto, ON: Time Festival

* = w/ JDH & Dave P

Photo by Alex Salinas.

Elzhi “Motown 25 feat. Royce Da 5’9″”

Ah Detroit. Land of abandoned buildings, shitty weather, and a highly esteemed hip-hop scene full of colorful characters and compelling music. eLZhi‘s a longtime member of this pack, having risen to success in the late ’90s with Slum Village and his work with the late Dilla, but The Preface, due out next month, marks his first solo full-length. A skilled MC who likes his rhymes perfect, he enlisted fellow Motor City veteran Black Milk to steer the production helm, then invited Royce Da 5’9″, Guilty Simpson, T3 of Slum Village, Phat Kat, and more to guest on the album. “Motown 25,” as its title suggests, features Motown flavors laid over heavy beats, and is warmer than a piping hot plate of soul food. Photo by Jeremy Deputat.

Elzhi – Motown 25 feat. Royce Da 5 9

Top 10: The Faint, Tobacco, Amplive

Pit Er Pat
High Time
Thrill Jockey
Release Date: October 21

A rather hypnotic affair from this Chicago trio, perhaps because the group employed enough musical instruments to fill a small shop, and everything from guitars, bells, and drums to horns, gongs, and kalimbas looping over one another in off-kilter patterns. As on other releases, the tracks are scattershot genre-wise, though the trio does appear to have a certain fascination with snare drums on this one.

Keep Away From Heat/K.A.F.H.
Helium Bliss
Ammonite
Release Date: August 25

But Pit Er Pat’s new one isn’t as hypnotic as this, the latest output from producer Predrag Nedic, who delivers nine tracks of ambient post-rock that are achingly pretty. Deeply layered, with weepy string arrangements and minor chords scattered over every inch, this album floats and hovers with as much serenity as its title suggests.

XLR8R Podcast Featuring 3 Is a Crowd
Download

Though we love all the podcasts we post here at XLR8R.com, this one had the staff turning up the volume full-blast for the better part of yesterday, nodding in time to the electro, hip-hop, grime, crunk, and hard house sounds from the likes of Modeselektor, Benga, Crookers, Dizzee Rascal, and more. Perhaps the best part, though, is the fact that 3IAC ran with the concept of hosting the mix on the mic, adding hilarious commentary and shout-outs throughout.

The Faint
Fasciinatiion
blank.wav
Release Date: August 5

Taking a break from their longtime home at Saddle Creek appears to have done the five members of The Faint some good. Fasciinatiion is their first album ever to be made and released in-house, and the result is a record that’s musically more on-point than anything we’ve seen from these guys in a while.

Tobacco
Fucked Up Friends
anticon.
Release Date: October 14

There’s some dissonance between the XLR8R.com staff over this album, with some factions saying it’s a bizarre trip through a sinister musical land and some saying it’s more uplifting than Tobacco’s work with Black Moth Super Rainbow. Whatever. Dark or dreamy, it’s an undeniably grandiose album made of careful work with analog synths and tape machines, and a very satisfying listen.

The Ready Aim Fire!
Strong Enough
Self-Released
Release Date: Out Now

Since Bright Eyes turned vaguely alt-country and The Postal Service will probably never make that new album, we’ve had to search elsewhere for indie pop that speaks of lost love, excessive drinking, and the poetic beauty of self-abuse. Found it here, with the work of Dave Trautz and Co., whose singing and laptop pop mixed with acoustics is just good, honest songwriting that’s musically interesting and emotionally captivating.

Hybrid
Soundsystem_01
Hope

Longtime dance music producers, the members of Hybrid have always worked with a trademark sound that’s big, cinematic, and, at certain instances, makes the hair on one’s neck stand up. They employed a similar tactic when compiling and mixing this double-disc, with a mix that begins in minimal electronics and very, very slowly climbs to the maximal, with Trentemøller, DJ Spooky, Quivver, and others appearing along the way.

Bomb the Bass
Future Chaos
!K7
Release Date: Fall 2008

Tim Simenon began his Bomb the Bass project all the way back in the ’80s with acid-house and sample-heavy numbers, but he swears up and down this isn’t a comeback album. True or not, this synth-heavy set of tracks finds him playing with rhythms and tempos, pushing both dancefloor bangers and quieter, more emotional numbers better suited to the headphones. Guest vocals include Jon Spencer and Fujiya & Miyagi’s David Best.

Tokyo Police Club feat. Aesop Rock and Yak Ballz
“The Baskervilles (Amplive Remix)”
Download

I love screaming rock boys and sharp-spitting MCs equally. Amplive does too, apparently, because when Tokyo Police Club handed him a bunch of Pro Tools files from their track for a remix, he called up his boys Aesop Rock and Yak Ballz to come through and add some rhymes to the band’s track. A nice juxtaposition when the driving power chords melt into an MPC beat, and Amp made this video to show us how the magic happened.

2562
Aerial
Tectonic
Release Date: Out Now

Aerial. Sounds suspiciously like Burial, but this isn’t just another straightforward dubstep album. Belgian producer Dave Huismans, who makes many different styles of music under many different monikers, married the sounds of the genre with techno, so the resulting sound contains both the driving basslines of Croyden with the 4/4 beats and handclaps found on the Continent.

Image of The Faint by Scott Dobry.

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